decimated
adjective
dec·i·mat·ed
ˈde-sə-ˌmā-təd 
1
: drastically reduced especially in number
… the decimated population of Atlantic salmon that once gamboled in dozens of rivers in the northeastern United States …—
Pete Bodo
Pete BodoA denuded forest may one day regrow; the decimated culture that called it home sadly will not.—Stephen Messenger
Stephen Messenger2
: destroyed or significantly harmed
… its dusty streets, scattered with burned out vehicles and flanked on either side by decimated buildings.—Jay Akbar
Jay AkbarMany workers may want to delay retirement to replenish decimated 401(k) portfolios …—Emily Brandon
Emily BrandonCan we take as governor a man who'd give $46 million in public money to a bottling lobby, instead of using it to salvage decimated public programs?—David Nyhan
see also decimate
David NyhanExamples of decimated in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Coverage from the region included imagery of a decimated Harlem Tap Room, a historic bar on the city's north side that has been at the same location for roughly 80 years.
—Dennis Romero, NBC news, 16 May 2025
Massacre, enslavement, rape, kidnapping of women and children, combined with starvation and disease, more than decimated native nations.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 Apr. 2025
My college cohort graduated into a decimated job market, desperately seeking internships that were likely to be unpaid and casting about for gigs working in bars or cafés.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2025
That damage included the decimated Interstate 40 bridge into North Carolina.
FEMA pumped millions into the repair effort.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimated
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Dennis Romero, NBC news, 16 May 2025
Massacre, enslavement, rape, kidnapping of women and children, combined with starvation and disease, more than decimated native nations.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 Apr. 2025
My college cohort graduated into a decimated job market, desperately seeking internships that were likely to be unpaid and casting about for gigs working in bars or cafés.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2025
That damage included the decimated Interstate 40 bridge into North Carolina.
FEMA pumped millions into the repair effort.
—Adam Tamburin, Axios, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimated
Cite this Entry
“Decimated.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimated. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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